Inspiration for family travel around Florida and the world!
Some posts on this site contain affiliate links. If you book or buy something through these links, we earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you) Read our privacy policy for more information.
With the Christmas season upon us, now is the time to think about your family traditions! They are the best way to get into the holiday spirit and have a holly jolly Christmas! Below are 11 fun, memorable and unique traditions you can start this year with your family!
I LOVE this idea and it’s a tradition a lot of people are starting to incorporate! I mean, have you seen all the cuteness on Instagram?! See our favorite Christmas PJ picks here!
Our family did this years ago and it was AH-MAZING! The kids loved it, the adults love it, and we all had a blast! Especially if you love the movie, The Polar Express! Do a quick Google search (The Polar Express Train Ride Near Me) and see if they have one near you! In Florida, you can catch the train in Miami and near Tampa. To get ready for your train ride, snuggle up together as a family to watch the movie or get the book and read it all season!
This is probably a tradition your family already has because it’s a fun and festive activity, that is perfect for setting up for the big man’s arrival. We love decorating Christmas cookies while listening to ‘Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree’ on repeat!
This is a tradition we like to do on Christmas Eve, so the cookies are fresh when they pick which ones to set out for Santa! You can make it even more memorable by using a special Cookie & Milk set.
One of the traditions the kids look forward to, is a new Christmas story each night. I find and wrap 24 Christmas-themed books and we open the first one on December 1st. You can choose books you already own, buy new ones, and find some at your local library. I linked some favs above (buy 2 get 1 free deal, at time of posting this). You can even wrap some activities like a gingerbread house kit, on evenings you have extra time.
Depending on where you live, you may or may not have U-Cut Tree Farms around. In the PNW, we had a plethora of options! Not only is this a fun and family-friendly activity, but it’s also one of the best places to take some festive family pictures! Here in Florida, we love using our artificial tree, which I heavily flocked last year.
This is one you can’t miss! I love taking the kids to see Santa, hearing their cute little conversations, and comparing the pictures to the previous years to see how they’ve changed. We’ve frequented the same Santa almost every year since before I can remember. And guess what- his actual name is even Santa Clause! I’m not joking- read about it here.
Nothing says getting into the spirit of Christmas like turning your home into a Winter Wonderland or Santa’s Workshop! In our house, we like to decorate on Dec 1st, but we got in the spirit a little early this year (the day after Thanksgiving to be exact haha). When do you decorate?
I personally love the seasonal outdoor ice rinks that pop up during the Holiday season, because they are so festive! But indoor ones are great too, especially if you live in a warmer climate that can’t handle an outdoor rink. For my central FL readers, you can find ice rinks in Kissimmee, and Orlando.
Being the photographer in the family, I LOVE this tradition! We have a couple of activities and photo recreations that we do every year. But the one that is our must-do family tradition, is a picture in front of the Christmas Tree in our matching pajamas before any presents have been opened.
Any memory-making tradition that involves yummy treats is one to celebrate right?! I remember when we were little, we’d make our own gingerbread houses with graham crackers, icing, gumdrops, and other candies. Now they make it even easier with pre-made kits, like those pictured just above. Now that we live in The Sunshine State, I totally want to do the tropical beach house!
If you’re totally nostalgic like me, I love the idea of saving our kids’ letters to Santa! I’ve seen so many cute ways to memorialize the kid’s wishlists to Santa as shown above. But did you also know you can mail their letters to Santa, and get a response?! So fun! Learn more here!
This is a tradition we have never skipped and it started the very first Christmas when A was only 4.5 months old! I searched far and wide to find a copy of the book in a nice hardback, with beautifully illustrated pictures, and one that we can hold onto for many years to come. I found this print a couple of years ago and use it every Christmas Eve Night and throughout December because it’s our favorite!
